The Final Blog
I was going to save this blog post for tomorrow.. but I’m in the feels and I’m such a procrastinator that I’ll probably be too busy packing tomorrow to write/post my final blog post of my Study Abroad trip.
What an amazing 7 weeks.
Thinking back to my Freshman year, I don’t know how the girl who was calling her parents every night, crying and telling them that she was homesick, has turned into the girl who has lived on her own in London for a month and a half.
Unfortunately, when I eventually had become homesick here, my family couldn’t just drive an hour and a half to take me out to dinner.
It has been an amazing experience, but it’s also been hard. Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done (and I had to be drowned to become a certified life guard). Life in Michigan didn’t stop when I got on that Delta plane to come to England, even though I wish it did. Everyone went on about their lives, and I often felt like an outsider scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. My friends were making memories without me, and even though I was making some as well, I didn’t have those closest to me to share them with. There were countless times where I would stop and think “I really wish I could share this moment with Tony” or “My parents would love this” and “Me and Devon would have so much fun here,” but all I could do is tell my new found friends on this trip how my family would enjoy those moments, and make memories with them and not my loved ones.
I started this journey out alone, but through late night conversations, many Bachelorette episodes, vent sessions, and trips to Chipotle and Starbucks when we became homesick, I gained some great friends. Friends that may not live the floor below me when we get back to East Lansing, but friends that will still be a short walk/drive away. I have made some great life long friends on this trip, and I am happy that, if not my friends and family, I have these memories to share with them.
Memories that include: dodging creepy men, talking to said creepy men in a horrible British accent so they’d leave us alone, getting lost everywhere- no matter how cocky we were with our sense of directions, over looking the never-ending sea in Ireland together, baking (not the fun, cooking making kind) in the Parisian sun with each other, eventually getting pissed off in Cambridge and wanting to leave England all together- only after two weeks, sharing many glasses of wine and pints of beer (gonna miss the 18 year-old drinking age), my never ending allergies and always snotting everywhere and going through probably 50 packs of tissues and boxes on this trip, shamelessly taking too many pictures, telling our life’s struggles/confiding in each other, planning our future weddings and maybe getting a bit too tipsy a couple of times.
And I’m walking away so very thankful for all of it.
Not only am I grateful for the memories, the experience is something so priceless, that I will pay off my student debt with a smile (I will probably forget I said this after the first statement comes). I really never thought that I would:
Create a blog people actually enjoyed reading, to be honest I didn’t think anyone would read this.
Come up with something so valuable to a company that is based outside of the U.S.. All of the research that I have done, at times, seemed never ending, but when I finally started to write my white paper and picked out a light filter for the venue based off of my new found knowledge of light wavelengths, I felt like everything I had done had a purpose, and I was proud of myself for contributing something like that to a well-established company.
Become so interested in the research behind the psychology of lights. In the past 7 weeks, I have been able to confidently talk about my work with my fellow study-abroaders and I feel like they actually seem interested in it, too. When you talk passionately about a subject, others generally become more interested.
Survive the Tubes. It actually is more easy than it initially seemed. I don’t know how I’m going to go back to a life where I can just drive a car instead of hopping on the tube (probably pretty easily), but I think I’ll actually miss my commutes to and from work and around the city of London (even if I had to watch 3 tubes pass me by this morning because everyone and their mother decided to take the Bakerloo line).
As I wish I could have had you all by my side, I hope that this blog has helped you have an idea on what it’s like over here. The amazing structures are something my words and pictures could never do justice. As great as weekend trips are, I could never be able to adequately express my relief when I finally saw The London Eye, Big Ben, and eventually Baker Street and all of it’s Sherlock Holmes glory when I finally arrived back in London. It won’t be the same not walking out of the tube station every morning and seeing the huge pillar in front of me at Trafalgar Square and smiling at all the people enjoying the views of the beautiful fountains or lounging on the steps in front of The National Gallery. I could never forget the place where I saw Wicked for the first time, or Taylor Swift in Hyde Park with 65,000 other people. I’m sure I’m forgetting many other special little moments, but that’s what I have these blogs for.
Finally, I want to say thank you. Thank you to my parents, without your help and encouragement, I really wouldn’t have been able to survive this expensive and trying city. Even when the going got tough (and dad got frustrated with my moping) you were all still there to let me know everything was going to work out in the end, even when the visa fees seemed to be never ending. Thank you, Tony. I really don’t know if you ever even read these blog posts, but I really appreciate you being supportive with me leaving for 7 weeks, even when we already have a long distance relationship throughout the school year. Your solace has been very much appreciated, more than you know, you make me better. Thank you to my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. Your help even before I left made this trip, and the weeks leading up to it, less stressful. I am so lucky to have a family like you. Thank you to my friends, for always listening to me vent. Even if you don’t always agree with me, it’s nice to have familiar people to talk out my frustrations with when I seem to be going crazy a continent away. Thank you to my little sister (had to emphasize the “little” or people may think you had already graduated college and are about to get married), Devon, who was always reminding me where penny machines are in London, correcting my spelling, and giving me good laughs. May your eyebrows always be on fleek. And one BIG (10) thank you to Michigan State University. Even though green may burn my dad’s skin, and deep down he probably still wishes I was a Tennessee Volunteer, I wouldn’t have made it to this country without this school. The opportunities that have come from going to MSU are endless and I really couldn’t be more proud to let people know that I am a Spartan. As they say, everywhere you go, Go Green.
And that’s pretty much it. I may be back in September, whether by plane or Hologram (technology, man), but until then- or the next time- I’ll miss you London. But, I am definitely ready to come home. Warren, Michigan never looked so good (I’ll probably be super bored come Saturday afternoon).
See you in 49 hours.
P.S. you all better like your gifts and my effort to get them back to the U.S. without having to pay overweight luggage fees.
